Beer-Battered Fish Sandwich Recipe: Crispy Flounder on a Brioche Roll
This beer-battered fish sandwich recipe delivers a golden, shatteringly crispy flounder filet fried to perfection and stacked on a buttery toasted brioche roll with melty American cheese and tangy tartar sauce. The beer batter — made with Golden Dipt, white rice flour, and a full cup of beer — fries up light and crunchy without weighing down the fish. It’s an easy, restaurant-quality seafood sandwich you can pull off at home in under 30 minutes. Perfect for Lent, Fish Fridays, or any time you’re craving a seriously good fried fish sandwich.
🐟 Lent & Friday Essential: Skip the fast food run — this crispy beer-battered flounder sandwich looks and tastes like a seafood shack special and comes together in under 30 minutes.
INGREDIENTS
Beer Batter
1/4 cup Golden Dipt
2 tablespoons white rice flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup beer
Fish Sandwich
6 oz flounder filet
1 cup Golden Dipt (for dusting)
1 St. Pierre brioche roll
1 tablespoon butter
1 slice American cheese
2 tablespoons tartar sauce
Oil for frying (350°F)
INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1: Make the beer batter. Place the Golden Dipt, white rice flour, and salt into a mixing bowl. Slowly add the beer while whisking continuously. Keep whisking until all flour lumps are fully dissolved — the batter should resemble pancake batter. Set aside.
Step 2: Set up your dredging station. Place 1 cup of Golden Dipt in one shallow bowl and your beer batter in a second bowl.
Step 3: Dust the flounder filet thoroughly in the dry Golden Dipt, coating all sides evenly. Shake off any excess.
Step 4: Dip the dusted filet into the beer batter, letting the excess drip off.
Step 5: Carefully lower the battered flounder into 350°F oil. Fry for 6 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Remove and drain on a wire rack or paper towel.
Step 6: While the fish fries, split the brioche roll and toast it cut-side down in a pan with butter until golden and fragrant.
Step 7: Spread 1 tablespoon of tartar sauce on each half of the toasted brioche roll.
Step 8: Place the crispy fried flounder on the bottom bun and immediately lay the slice of American cheese on top so it begins to melt from the heat of the fish. Cap with the top bun and serve immediately.
Why You’ll Love This Beer-Battered Fish Sandwich
**Shatteringly Crispy Batter:** The combination of Golden Dipt, rice flour, and beer creates a crust that stays crispy from pan to plate
**Ready in Under 30 Minutes:** Batter to bun, this sandwich comes together faster than a drive-through with far better results
**Perfect for Lent:** A satisfying, crowd-pleasing meatless Friday dinner the whole family will look forward to
**Brioche Makes the Difference:** A toasted St. Pierre brioche roll adds buttery richness that elevates this far beyond a standard fish sandwich
**Simple Ingredients, Big Flavor:** You only need a handful of ingredients — the technique does all the heavy lifting
**Easy to Scale:** Frying multiple filets for a crowd is just as easy as making one
**Customizable:** Swap the cheese, upgrade the sauce, or add toppings — this sandwich is a great base for your own riff
Perfect for Lent, Fridays & Game Day
This beer-battered fish sandwich is the go-to recipe for:
**Lenten Fridays:** A meatless meal that no one complains about — crispy, satisfying, and genuinely delicious
**Fish Friday Tradition:** Make it a weekly ritual the whole family actually gets excited for
**Game Day Spread:** Serve alongside other finger foods for a casual crowd-pleaser that disappears fast
**Weeknight Dinner:** Fast enough for a Tuesday, impressive enough for any night of the week
**Backyard Fry-Up:** Fire up the fryer outside and let guests build their own sandwiches
**Casual Entertaining:** Easy to multiply for a group without breaking a sweat
**Date Night In:** Better than any chain seafood spot, made in your own kitchen
Ingredient Tips for Success
**Use Golden Dipt for the Batter:** Golden Dipt is formulated specifically for seafood frying — it creates a light, even coating that crisps up beautifully and doesn’t overwhelm the fish.
**White Rice Flour is the Secret:** Adding rice flour to the batter increases crunch and keeps the coating crispy longer than all-purpose flour alone.
**Any Beer Works — Choose Your Flavor:** A light lager keeps the batter neutral, while an amber or pale ale adds subtle malt flavor. Avoid dark stouts, which can make the batter bitter.
**Flounder is the Right Call:** Flounder’s mild flavor, thin profile, and firm texture make it ideal for frying — it cooks through fast and holds up in the batter without falling apart.
**St. Pierre Brioche Rolls:** The enriched dough and slight sweetness of a brioche roll balances the savory, salty fried fish perfectly. Don’t skip toasting — it adds structure so the roll doesn’t get soggy.
Pro Chef Tips
**Hold the Oil Temperature:** 350°F is the sweet spot. Too low and the batter absorbs grease and turns soggy. Too high and the outside burns before the fish cooks through. Use a thermometer.
**Dry Dredge First:** Dusting the flounder in dry Golden Dipt before the wet batter gives the batter something to grip — without it, the coating can slide right off in the oil.
**Don’t Overcrowd the Fryer:** Frying too many pieces at once drops the oil temperature dramatically and leads to greasy, pale fish. Fry in batches if needed.
**Rest on a Rack, Not Paper Towels:** A wire rack lets steam escape from all sides, keeping the bottom crust crispy. Paper towels trap steam underneath and soften the crust.
**Let the Cheese Melt Naturally:** Place the American cheese on the fish immediately after it comes out of the fryer — the residual heat does the melting with zero effort.
**Batter Right Before Frying:** Don’t let the battered fish sit — get it into the oil as soon as it’s coated for the best texture.
**Serve Immediately:** Fried fish is best eaten right away. The crust softens as it sits, so plate and serve without delay.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your beer-battered fish sandwich with:
– Extra tartar sauce or remoulade on the side for dipping
– Classic coleslaw — creamy or vinegar-based — piled right on the sandwich
– Old Bay seasoned fries or waffle fries
– A cup of clam chowder to complete the seafood spread
– Pickles, shredded lettuce, and sliced tomato for toppings
– Malt vinegar on the side for a British fish and chips vibe
– Lemon wedges for a bright, acidic finish
– A cold beer — the same one you used in the batter works great
Storage & Reheating
**Storage:** Store leftover fried flounder in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Keep the fish separate from the roll and toppings to avoid sogginess.
**Reheating in the Oven:** Place the fish on a wire rack over a baking sheet and reheat at 375°F for 8–10 minutes until hot and re-crisped. This is the best method for restoring crunch.
**Reheating in an Air Fryer:** Air fry at 375°F for 4–5 minutes for fast reheating that brings back a good amount of the original crispiness.
**Avoid the Microwave:** Microwaving fried fish makes the coating steam and turn rubbery. Use the oven or air fryer instead.
**Freezing:** Fully cooked fried flounder can be frozen for up to 1 month. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet to freeze, then transfer to a freezer bag. Reheat directly from frozen at 400°F for 12–15 minutes.
**Make-Ahead Tip:** The beer batter can be mixed and refrigerated up to 2 hours ahead. Re-whisk before using, as it may settle.
Variations to Try
**Cod or Haddock:** Thicker white fish like cod or haddock fry up beautifully in this batter for a heartier sandwich with more fish-forward flavor
**Spicy Version:** Add cayenne or hot sauce to the batter and mix sriracha into the tartar sauce for a fish sandwich with real heat
**Fish Tacos:** Skip the roll and serve the fried flounder in warm corn tortillas with slaw, avocado, and a lime crema
**Po’ Boy Style:** Use a split French roll, load it with fried fish, dressed lettuce, tomato, pickles, and remoulade for a New Orleans-inspired po’ boy
**Gluten-Free Option:** Use a gluten-free beer and an all rice flour batter for a GF version that still fries up crispy
**Shrimp Po’ Boy Variation:** Use the same beer batter on jumbo shrimp instead of flounder for a shrimp sandwich using the same technique
**Pretzel Roll Upgrade:** Swap the brioche for a pretzel roll to add a chewy, salty contrast to the crispy fish
Frequently Asked Questions
**What is the best fish for a beer-battered fish sandwich?**
Flounder is ideal — it’s mild, thin, and firm enough to hold up in batter and fry through quickly. Cod, haddock, and pollock are great alternatives if you prefer a thicker, flakier fish with more pronounced flavor.
**What does the rice flour do in the beer batter?**
White rice flour creates extra crunch in the finished crust and helps it stay crispy longer. It produces a lighter, lacier texture than all-purpose flour alone, which is why many professional fry batters include it.
**What beer is best for beer batter?**
A light lager like Bud Light or Coors keeps the batter neutral and crispy. A pale ale or amber adds subtle malt flavor. Avoid dark beers like stouts — the bitterness can overpower the fish.
**Why do you dust the fish in dry coating before the wet batter?**
The dry Golden Dipt acts as an adhesion layer — it gives the wet batter something to grab onto. Without it, the wet batter tends to slip off the fish in the oil, leaving patches of uncoated fish.
**What oil temperature should you fry fish at?**
350°F is the correct temperature for frying beer-battered fish. It’s hot enough to cook through and crisp the batter in 6 minutes without burning the outside before the inside is done.
**How do you keep fried fish crispy?**
Drain on a wire rack instead of paper towels so steam can escape from all sides. Serve immediately. Avoid covering the fish, which traps steam and softens the crust.
**Can I make this recipe without a deep fryer?**
Yes. Use a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven filled with at least 3 inches of oil. Monitor the temperature with a thermometer. The results are just as good as a dedicated fryer.
**What’s the best roll for a fish sandwich?**
A toasted brioche roll is the gold standard — its buttery richness and slight sweetness pair beautifully with fried fish. A potato roll or soft sub roll are solid alternatives. Always toast the roll for added structure and flavor.
**Can I use frozen flounder?**
Yes. Thaw completely in the refrigerator overnight and pat very dry before dusting with the dry coating. Any excess moisture will cause the batter to steam rather than fry, resulting in a softer crust.
**Can I make this for a crowd?**
Absolutely. Fry the fish in batches, keeping finished pieces warm on a rack in a 250°F oven while you fry the rest. The batter recipe scales up easily — just maintain your oil temperature between batches.